CVE-2020-11910: Treck TCP/IP ICMPv4 Read Vulnerability

CVE-2020-11910 Overview

CVE-2020-11910 is an Out-of-Bounds Read vulnerability affecting the Treck TCP/IP stack before version 6.0.1.66. This vulnerability exists within the ICMPv4 handling component and is part of the larger Ripple20 vulnerability collection, a set of 19 zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in the Treck TCP/IP stack that affects hundreds of millions of IoT and embedded devices worldwide.

The Treck TCP/IP stack is a widely deployed embedded networking library used in devices across critical infrastructure, healthcare, industrial control systems, transportation, and enterprise environments. Due to the ubiquitous nature of this stack and the complexity of software supply chains, many organizations may be unknowingly exposed to this vulnerability.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to read sensitive information from device memory through specially crafted ICMPv4 packets, potentially exposing cryptographic keys, credentials, or other sensitive data stored in adjacent memory regions.

Affected Products

• Treck TCP/IP stack versions prior to 6.0.1.66
• Various IoT and embedded devices utilizing the vulnerable Treck TCP/IP stack
• Products from multiple vendors including Cisco, Dell, Aruba Networks, and NetApp

Discovery Timeline

• 2020-06-17 - CVE-2020-11910 published to NVD
• 2025-09-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-11910

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read), which occurs when the software reads data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer. In the context of CVE-2020-11910, the Treck TCP/IP stack improperly handles bounds checking when processing ICMPv4 packets, allowing an attacker to trigger reads beyond allocated memory boundaries.

The flaw resides in the ICMPv4 protocol handling code where incoming ICMP packets are parsed without adequate validation of length fields. When a malformed packet is received, the stack may read memory beyond the packet buffer, potentially exposing sensitive information that resides in adjacent memory regions.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2020-11910 is insufficient bounds checking in the ICMPv4 packet processing routine. The vulnerable code fails to properly validate the length field of incoming ICMP packets against the actual buffer size before performing read operations. This allows attackers to craft packets with manipulated length values that cause the stack to read beyond allocated buffer boundaries.

This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in embedded systems and IoT devices where memory isolation between processes is often limited or non-existent, meaning sensitive data such as cryptographic keys or authentication credentials may be stored in memory regions accessible through this out-of-bounds read.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2020-11910 is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending specially crafted ICMPv4 packets to a vulnerable device. The attack flow involves:

1. The attacker identifies a target device running a vulnerable version of the Treck TCP/IP stack
2. A malformed ICMPv4 packet is crafted with manipulated length fields
3. The packet is sent to the target device over the network
4. The vulnerable ICMPv4 handler processes the packet without proper bounds validation
5. Sensitive memory contents beyond the packet buffer are read and may be leaked back to the attacker

The vulnerability can be triggered via ICMP echo requests (ping) or other ICMPv4 message types, making it particularly accessible to attackers since ICMP traffic is often permitted through firewalls.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-11910

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed ICMPv4 packets with abnormal length fields targeting network devices
• Unexpected ICMP traffic patterns or high volumes of ICMP requests to embedded devices
• Memory-related anomalies or crashes in devices running the Treck TCP/IP stack
• Network reconnaissance activity targeting IoT and embedded systems infrastructure

Detection Strategies

• Deploy network intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for Ripple20 vulnerability exploitation attempts
• Monitor for ICMPv4 packets with mismatched or suspicious length field values
• Implement deep packet inspection at network perimeters to identify malformed ICMP traffic
• Use asset inventory tools to identify devices running vulnerable Treck TCP/IP stack versions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for ICMP traffic at network boundaries and on critical network segments
• Configure alerting for anomalous ICMP traffic patterns targeting IoT and embedded devices
• Establish baseline network behavior for embedded devices and monitor for deviations
• Integrate vulnerability intelligence feeds to track Ripple20-related threat activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-11910

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all devices in your environment running the Treck TCP/IP stack using asset discovery tools
• Apply vendor-specific patches for affected devices from vendors such as Cisco, Aruba Networks, NetApp, and Dell
• Segment vulnerable IoT and embedded devices from critical network infrastructure
• Implement network access controls to restrict unnecessary ICMP traffic to embedded devices

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been addressed in Treck TCP/IP stack version 6.0.1.66 and later. Organizations should contact device manufacturers to obtain firmware updates that include the patched Treck library. Due to the complexity of supply chain dependencies, many device vendors have released their own advisories and patches.

For detailed vulnerability information and affected vendor list, consult the CERT Vulnerability Report VU#257161 and the JSOF Ripple20 research page.

Workarounds

• Block or rate-limit ICMPv4 traffic at network perimeters where operationally feasible
• Implement network segmentation to isolate IoT and embedded devices from sensitive network segments
• Deploy virtual patching through IPS/IDS solutions with Ripple20-specific rules
• Disable ICMPv4 processing on affected devices if the functionality is not required for operations
• Use application-layer gateways or proxies to filter traffic to vulnerable devices

# Example iptables rules to restrict ICMP traffic to embedded devices
# Replace 192.168.10.0/24 with your IoT device subnet

# Drop all ICMP to IoT subnet except from trusted management hosts
iptables -A FORWARD -p icmp -d 192.168.10.0/24 -j DROP
iptables -I FORWARD -p icmp -s 10.0.0.5 -d 192.168.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT

# Log suspicious ICMP packets for analysis
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m limit --limit 5/min -j LOG --log-prefix "ICMP Ripple20: "